External tools
External tools allow you to configure and run programs,
batch files, Ant buildfiles, and others using the Workbench. You can save
these external tool configurations and run them at a later time.
Output from external tools is displayed in the
Console view
.
You can add external tools as part of the build process
for a project. These external tools will run in the specified order every
time a project is built.
The following variables are available when you configure
an external tool. These variables are automatically expanded each time
the external tool is run.
Variable Name
|
Description
|
${workspace_loc}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to Eclipse's workspace directory |
${workspace_loc:<resource path>}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to the specified resource. The
<resource
path> is the full path of the resource relative to the workspace root.
For example ${workspace_loc:/MyProject/MyFile.txt}. Note that the expanded
result of this variable is not the same as ${workspace_loc}/MyProject/MyFile.txt
if the project's contents directory for MyProject is outside the workspace
directory.
|
${project_loc}
|
The absolute path on the system's
hard drive to the currently selected resource's project or to the project
being built if the external tool is run as part of a build.
|
${project_loc:<resource path>}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to the specified resource's project.
The <resource path> is the full path of the resource relative
to the workspace root. For example ${workspace_loc:/MyProject/MyFile.txt}.
Note that the expanded result of this variable is not the same as ${workspace_loc}/MyProject
if the project's contents directory for MyProject is outside the workspace
directory.
|
${container_loc}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to the currently selected resource's parent (either a folder or project). |
${container_loc:<resource path>}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to the specified resource's parent
(either a folder or project). The <resource path> is the full
path of the resource relative to the workspace root. For example:${workspace_loc:/MyProject/MyFolder/MyFile.txt}.
Note that the expanded result of this variable is not the same as ${workspace_loc}/MyProject/MyFolder
if the project's contents directory for MyProject is outside the workspace
directory.
|
${resource_loc}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to the currently selected resource. |
${resource_loc:<resource path>}
|
The absolute path on the system's hard drive to the specified resource. The
<resource path> is the full path of the resource relative to the workspace root.
For example ${workspace_loc:/MyProject/MyFile.txt}. Note that the expanded
result of this variable is not the same as ${workspace_loc}/MyProject/MyFile.txt
if the project's contents directory for MyProject is outside the workspace
directory.
|
${project_path}
|
The full path, relative to the
workspace root, of the currently selected resource's project or of the
project being built if the external tool is run as part of a build.
|
${container_path}
|
The full path, relative to the
workspace root, of the currently selected resource's parent (either a folder
or project).
|
${resource_path}
|
The full path, relative to the workspace root, of the currently selected resource. |
${project_name}
|
The name of the currently selected resource's project or of the project being built if the external tool is
run as part of a build. |
${container_name}
|
The name of the currently selected resource's parent (either a folder or project). |
${resource_name}
|
The name of the currently selected resource. |
${build_type}
|
The kind of build when the external
tool is run as part of a build. The value can be one of "full", "incremental",
or "auto". If the external tool is run outside of a build, the value is
then "none".
|
Lets assume your Eclipse workspace directory is c:\eclipse\workspace
and you have two projects, MyProject1
and MyProject2
. The first project,
MyProject1
, is located inside the workspace directory, the second project,
MyProject2
, is located outside the workspace directory at c:\projects\MyProject2
.
Lets look at how the variable examples below will be expanded when an
external tool is run, if the resource /MyProject2/MyFolder/MyFile.txt
is
selected.
Variable Example
|
Expanded Results
|
${workspace_loc} |
c:\eclipse\workspace |
${workspace_loc:/MyProject1/MyFile.txt} |
c:\eclipse\workspace\MyProject\MyFile.txt |
${workspace_loc:/MyProject2/MyFile.txt} |
c:\projects\MyProject2\MyFile.txt |
${project_loc} |
c:\projects\MyProject2 |
${project_loc:/MyProject1/MyFile.txt} |
c:\eclipse\workspace\MyProject |
${container_loc} |
c:\projects\MyProject2\MyFolder |
${resource_loc} |
c:\projects\MyProject2\MyFile.txt |
${project_path} |
/MyProject2 |
${container_path} |
/MyProject2/MyFolder |
${resource_path} |
/MyProject2/MyFolder/MyFile.txt |
${project_name} |
MyProject2 |
${container_name} |
MyFolder |
${resource_name} |
MyFile.txt |
${build_type} |
none |
Ant support
Builds
External Tools preferences
External Tools and Ant icons
Console view
Running external tools
Running Ant buildfiles